Time: 35:27
Distance: 7.50 km
Pace: 4:43/km
Map
I stayed with Pat Tarpy and Kim Smith last night at their home in Providence. It's always good to catch up with them and hear about her preparations for the London Olympics. She has been training with Ava Hutchinson who has been living at the house for the past couple of months. Pat and I left the ladies at home and headed out to have pints and catch up. We were out late and I was up earlier than desired for a run around the streets of PVD. We went nice and easy near the house as I tried to shake out the cobwebs. I ended up feeling decent by the end of the run and had just enough time to shower up and head off to Albany.
Showing posts with label tarpy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tarpy. Show all posts
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Rhode Runner Run Club
Time: 56:51
Distance: 11.00 km
W/u: 14:56 for 2.78 km
W/o: 6 x 800m w/ 400m jog
C/d: 7:47 for 1.42 km
I traveled down to Providence today for a run club with Rhode Runner. I arrived much earlier than expected so I sent a note out to Pat Tarpy asking if he wanted to catch up and watch the UEFA Cup semi-final between Spain and Portugal. He was game so we met up at Ri-ra in downtown where many pints by Brown runners have been consumed. Around half-time another former Brown 800m runner, Jon Andruchow aka Chow, showed up to spectate. It was a fun time and ultimately Spain took the victory in penalty kicks. Fortunately, the game ended with just enough time for me to head over to Rhode Runner for their run club.
Usually, store run clubs consist of an easy 30-40 minutes along some route near the store. Not Rhode Runner. I had two options: 1) run 8 miles easy with 4-5 runners, 2) run 6 x 800m at the track with a group of 20. I chose the latter option and headed off to Hope High School (one of the worst public schools in Rhode Island) track (one of the nicest high school facilities I've seen). This workout was a surprise as I was expecting an easy 30 minutes of running and considering the burger I ate at lunch, I had no ambitions for throwing down anything impressive.
Splits:
2:41.5 (4:08), 2:37.4 (3:24), 2:36.3 (3:49), 2:35.6 (3:39), 2:28.0 (3:45), 2:22.7 for 6.8 km and 34:08
My lunch wasn't sitting nicely until halfway through the workout, but I slogged on. I ran right at the front and ended up leading most of the efforts. We had more than enough rest for the intervals to feel comfortable as each got a little faster. I was glad to have been coerced into doing the workout and will definitely have to return again.
Distance: 11.00 km
W/u: 14:56 for 2.78 km
W/o: 6 x 800m w/ 400m jog
C/d: 7:47 for 1.42 km
I traveled down to Providence today for a run club with Rhode Runner. I arrived much earlier than expected so I sent a note out to Pat Tarpy asking if he wanted to catch up and watch the UEFA Cup semi-final between Spain and Portugal. He was game so we met up at Ri-ra in downtown where many pints by Brown runners have been consumed. Around half-time another former Brown 800m runner, Jon Andruchow aka Chow, showed up to spectate. It was a fun time and ultimately Spain took the victory in penalty kicks. Fortunately, the game ended with just enough time for me to head over to Rhode Runner for their run club.
Usually, store run clubs consist of an easy 30-40 minutes along some route near the store. Not Rhode Runner. I had two options: 1) run 8 miles easy with 4-5 runners, 2) run 6 x 800m at the track with a group of 20. I chose the latter option and headed off to Hope High School (one of the worst public schools in Rhode Island) track (one of the nicest high school facilities I've seen). This workout was a surprise as I was expecting an easy 30 minutes of running and considering the burger I ate at lunch, I had no ambitions for throwing down anything impressive.
Splits:
2:41.5 (4:08), 2:37.4 (3:24), 2:36.3 (3:49), 2:35.6 (3:39), 2:28.0 (3:45), 2:22.7 for 6.8 km and 34:08
My lunch wasn't sitting nicely until halfway through the workout, but I slogged on. I ran right at the front and ended up leading most of the efforts. We had more than enough rest for the intervals to feel comfortable as each got a little faster. I was glad to have been coerced into doing the workout and will definitely have to return again.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Providence Long Run
Time: 139:45
Distance: 31.17k
Pace: 4:29
Map
Yesterday evening Meagan, Caitlin and I drove down to Providence for a get together at Kim Smith's house. It was in celebration of her recent engagement to Pat Tarpy and her 30th birthday. Happy days! There was a good crew in attendance which included former Brown captain Matt Emond and his wife Danielle, Pat Moulton, Molly Huddle, Roisin McGettigan, Jon (Andru)chow, and the legendary Keith Kelly.
It was a great evening of eating food filled with gluten, drinking pints and chatting with friends old and new. I stayed up way too late and didn't get to bed until around 2 AM when things wound down. As you can imagine, starting off in the morning was going to be slow and fortunately we had Kim to lead the way for the first 40 minutes. She is still in the regeneration phase since racing at New York and isn't putting in too much time on the feet.
We looped around the neighborhoods near Providence College which aren't anything to write home about. In fact, they are the same neighborhood where Jeff Gaudette and I were called out by guy yelling, "Man, look at 'dis. Ni**as be runnin' in daisy dukes!" Awesome. There was no yelling today even when we headed back out for much more distance as a group of three.
I took Meagan and Caitlin over to the nicer side of town and up onto College Hill. I showed them the Brown Stadium, the Blackstone Blvd., Brown's athletic fields behind the OMAC, Thayer Street, campus, Rhode Runner, downtown Providence, and the state capitol. I don't think there is anything else to see in all of Rhode Island that wasn't shared on the run.
I never felt great as my stomach was giving me issues. It could have been the gluten (probably not), the 15 beers (not literally), late night dessert, lack of sleep or the combination of all four. I had to stop multiple times as a result, but that just gave the girls an excuse to stop from the blistering pace I was laying down. I glad to have this run wrapped up as it's the longest run in quite some time.
Distance: 31.17k
Pace: 4:29
Map
Yesterday evening Meagan, Caitlin and I drove down to Providence for a get together at Kim Smith's house. It was in celebration of her recent engagement to Pat Tarpy and her 30th birthday. Happy days! There was a good crew in attendance which included former Brown captain Matt Emond and his wife Danielle, Pat Moulton, Molly Huddle, Roisin McGettigan, Jon (Andru)chow, and the legendary Keith Kelly.
It was a great evening of eating food filled with gluten, drinking pints and chatting with friends old and new. I stayed up way too late and didn't get to bed until around 2 AM when things wound down. As you can imagine, starting off in the morning was going to be slow and fortunately we had Kim to lead the way for the first 40 minutes. She is still in the regeneration phase since racing at New York and isn't putting in too much time on the feet.
We looped around the neighborhoods near Providence College which aren't anything to write home about. In fact, they are the same neighborhood where Jeff Gaudette and I were called out by guy yelling, "Man, look at 'dis. Ni**as be runnin' in daisy dukes!" Awesome. There was no yelling today even when we headed back out for much more distance as a group of three.
I took Meagan and Caitlin over to the nicer side of town and up onto College Hill. I showed them the Brown Stadium, the Blackstone Blvd., Brown's athletic fields behind the OMAC, Thayer Street, campus, Rhode Runner, downtown Providence, and the state capitol. I don't think there is anything else to see in all of Rhode Island that wasn't shared on the run.
I never felt great as my stomach was giving me issues. It could have been the gluten (probably not), the 15 beers (not literally), late night dessert, lack of sleep or the combination of all four. I had to stop multiple times as a result, but that just gave the girls an excuse to stop from the blistering pace I was laying down. I glad to have this run wrapped up as it's the longest run in quite some time.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Mile Breakdown Workout
Time: 80:02
Distance: ~10.50 miles
W/u: 22:41 for 3.01 miles
W/o: Mile breakdown: 1600 (4:45), 1200 (3:28), 1000 (2:53), 800 (2:20), 600 (1:42), 400 (68), 200 (32), 100 (14) w/ 2 mins rest
C/d: 22:01 for 2.70 miles
I was back at JCSU less than 12 hours from leaving it. The goal this morning was to run a mile breakdown where the pace of the interval gets just a little bit faster as the distance becomes shorter. The rest would remain constant at 2 minutes for the entirety which is quite a bit at the end of the workout.
The warm up went well, but I notice a bit more humidity in the air. Also, it was going to be windy on the homestretch. I didn't stretch too much before getting down to business. I did however start with two 200 meter strides.
Splits:
31.38, (1:30), 31.82, (2:01);
4:44.25, (2:01), 3:28.73, (2:00), 2:55.77, (2:01), 2:22.30, (2:01), 1:42.22, (2:00), 65.17, (2:00), 29.36, (1:30), 13.31 for 35:10 total and ~7,000 meters of actual running.
I'd have to rate myself with a C+ or B- on this workout as it was just average at best. I felt good for the opening interval and may have got a little cocky as I tried to jog 400 meters after it. In college we always took active recovery of jogging 200m to 400m. It was a way to keep the legs moving while gaining a few extra miles. That was my goal for today as well. The 1200m interval was good, but I came through a little slow and had to push the final lap. As a result, I stopped jogging the recovery and focused on the next repeat. The 1k and 800m were tough and were the only two intervals that were legitimately off. I just didn't feel all that relaxed trying to run 69-70 seconds per lap. I regained a better focus and was able to bang out the rest of the splits with little trouble. I was even on the 600m and a little fast on the remaining efforts.
This workout pales in comparison to a mile breakdown (didn't have the 1k repeat) that I did with Tarpy my senior year at Brown. I went 4:28 (2:56) , 3:21 (1:58), 2:11 (1:28), 1:36 (61), 64 (46), 46 (28), 32. I had more speed then, but know I'm stronger now. I would have liked to felt more relaxed and less strained.
Distance: ~10.50 miles
W/u: 22:41 for 3.01 miles
W/o: Mile breakdown: 1600 (4:45), 1200 (3:28), 1000 (2:53), 800 (2:20), 600 (1:42), 400 (68), 200 (32), 100 (14) w/ 2 mins rest
C/d: 22:01 for 2.70 miles
I was back at JCSU less than 12 hours from leaving it. The goal this morning was to run a mile breakdown where the pace of the interval gets just a little bit faster as the distance becomes shorter. The rest would remain constant at 2 minutes for the entirety which is quite a bit at the end of the workout.
The warm up went well, but I notice a bit more humidity in the air. Also, it was going to be windy on the homestretch. I didn't stretch too much before getting down to business. I did however start with two 200 meter strides.
Splits:
31.38, (1:30), 31.82, (2:01);
4:44.25, (2:01), 3:28.73, (2:00), 2:55.77, (2:01), 2:22.30, (2:01), 1:42.22, (2:00), 65.17, (2:00), 29.36, (1:30), 13.31 for 35:10 total and ~7,000 meters of actual running.
I'd have to rate myself with a C+ or B- on this workout as it was just average at best. I felt good for the opening interval and may have got a little cocky as I tried to jog 400 meters after it. In college we always took active recovery of jogging 200m to 400m. It was a way to keep the legs moving while gaining a few extra miles. That was my goal for today as well. The 1200m interval was good, but I came through a little slow and had to push the final lap. As a result, I stopped jogging the recovery and focused on the next repeat. The 1k and 800m were tough and were the only two intervals that were legitimately off. I just didn't feel all that relaxed trying to run 69-70 seconds per lap. I regained a better focus and was able to bang out the rest of the splits with little trouble. I was even on the 600m and a little fast on the remaining efforts.
This workout pales in comparison to a mile breakdown (didn't have the 1k repeat) that I did with Tarpy my senior year at Brown. I went 4:28 (2:56) , 3:21 (1:58), 2:11 (1:28), 1:36 (61), 64 (46), 46 (28), 32. I had more speed then, but know I'm stronger now. I would have liked to felt more relaxed and less strained.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Meb and Tarpy
Time: 74:44
Distance: 12.00 miles
Pace: 6:14
Map
What a great morning! Meb Keflezghi became the first American to win the NYC Marathon in 27 years. Great race and the move he made with two miles to run was truly inspirational.
Meagan and I got up early to watch the marathon and then realized that the races didn't start until after 9 am. That gave me some time to figure out how to connect the computer to the tv so we could watch with a bigger screen and better sound. I overcame my frustration and conquered Mr. Technology with several minutes to spare. We invited over Jenna, Tanya and Sean to watch the race unfold like the running geeks that we are.
The living room became my running HQ for the duration of the race. Meagan's mini-computer was hooked up to the big screen playing the live universalsports.com feed of the race. On my MacBook I had multiple tabs open so that I could soak up as much info about the race as possible. I watched the men's only feed in one tab, chatted with Owen about the race in another, and tracked multiple competitors in another. I was also texting Mike DeCoste with updates because he wasn't getting any from the NYC Marathon website.
My interest was split between the lead pack and Pat Tarpy. I loved watching how the runners up front eyed each other constantly as they waited to make moves. Tarpy could only be tracked online and seeing his splits was really exciting. Before the race he hinted at running alongside Brian Sell who always seems to run even and smart. According the the splits, Tarpy decided to do just that as both went through half-way at the same time.
The excitement increased as several Americans maintained contact in the front while Tarpy hung tough through miles 18, 19 and 20. Owen and I chose horses at mile five of the race which meant he was cheering for Ryan Hall and James Kwambai. I settled on Meb to as the top US finisher and Robert Cheruiyot to win the race. I had little true confidence in my picks but both looked very relaxed running out of the lead early on. I believe their experience with the course and their bodies brought them to finish 1-2 at the end of the day. It was a great race heading into Central Park and one that brought a lot of energy to our living room.
Owen and I assumed Tarpy would be finishing around 2:14 or 2:15 according to his 35k split of 1:51:xx. We waited, and waited, and waited for the tracker page to update. Nothing. Maybe there was a glitch or there was too much traffic on the site. Tarpy had to be near the finish but the live feed on universalsports.com was failing us now. Probably around the 2:17 or 2:18 finishing time mark, Owen forwarded me a message from his friend Elliot who I assume was watching live at the race: "just saw Tarpy walking then he started running again." Nooo. I was upset/disappointed/sad that the marathon had taken another one. I don't mean to ridicule Tarpy when I post his splits because I know he reads this blog. I was emotionally invested in the splits because I could see the development of an a brilliant run. Here they are:
Half Marathon Split - 66:44
Second Half Split - 73:59
Split from mile 14 to 15 - 5:10
Split from mile 15 to 16 - 5:12
Split from mile 16 to 17 - 4:59
Split from mile 17 to 18 - 5:04
Split from mile 18 to 19 - 5:08
Split from mile 19 to 20 - 5:26
Split from mile 20 to 21 - 5:34
Last 7.2k of the race - 28:47 (~6:05/mile* pace) *includes walking
I got one of the best texts I've ever received from Tarpy after the race. I had just returned from my 12 miler with Sean Brosnan out at McAlpine. He writes:
"Tough day for this guy, thought 2:14 was happening. Back first to go, then hips, then feet, then heart. If you want applause in a marathon take a walk break and then start running again. Crowd loves it. Also I passed one of the elite women at 25 and she then out kicked me. Not my finest moment."
Tarpy ran 2:20:43 in his marathon debut on a tough course in NYC. He finished as the 13th overall American in the race. There aren't too many people who can say they ran 2:20 after taking three 30 second walk breaks in the last 5k.
Having the technology to follow a race so closely today was great fun. The efforts today brought many highs and lows to our living room. Even though I was hours away from the live action it felt like I was experiencing the race first hand. Meb's performance will always be remembered. Tarpy's performance will be too.
Oh, it was also Meagan's birthday today. She is now in her late 20s which is nearly 30.
Distance: 12.00 miles
Pace: 6:14
Map
What a great morning! Meb Keflezghi became the first American to win the NYC Marathon in 27 years. Great race and the move he made with two miles to run was truly inspirational.
Meagan and I got up early to watch the marathon and then realized that the races didn't start until after 9 am. That gave me some time to figure out how to connect the computer to the tv so we could watch with a bigger screen and better sound. I overcame my frustration and conquered Mr. Technology with several minutes to spare. We invited over Jenna, Tanya and Sean to watch the race unfold like the running geeks that we are.
The living room became my running HQ for the duration of the race. Meagan's mini-computer was hooked up to the big screen playing the live universalsports.com feed of the race. On my MacBook I had multiple tabs open so that I could soak up as much info about the race as possible. I watched the men's only feed in one tab, chatted with Owen about the race in another, and tracked multiple competitors in another. I was also texting Mike DeCoste with updates because he wasn't getting any from the NYC Marathon website.
My interest was split between the lead pack and Pat Tarpy. I loved watching how the runners up front eyed each other constantly as they waited to make moves. Tarpy could only be tracked online and seeing his splits was really exciting. Before the race he hinted at running alongside Brian Sell who always seems to run even and smart. According the the splits, Tarpy decided to do just that as both went through half-way at the same time.
The excitement increased as several Americans maintained contact in the front while Tarpy hung tough through miles 18, 19 and 20. Owen and I chose horses at mile five of the race which meant he was cheering for Ryan Hall and James Kwambai. I settled on Meb to as the top US finisher and Robert Cheruiyot to win the race. I had little true confidence in my picks but both looked very relaxed running out of the lead early on. I believe their experience with the course and their bodies brought them to finish 1-2 at the end of the day. It was a great race heading into Central Park and one that brought a lot of energy to our living room.
Owen and I assumed Tarpy would be finishing around 2:14 or 2:15 according to his 35k split of 1:51:xx. We waited, and waited, and waited for the tracker page to update. Nothing. Maybe there was a glitch or there was too much traffic on the site. Tarpy had to be near the finish but the live feed on universalsports.com was failing us now. Probably around the 2:17 or 2:18 finishing time mark, Owen forwarded me a message from his friend Elliot who I assume was watching live at the race: "just saw Tarpy walking then he started running again." Nooo. I was upset/disappointed/sad that the marathon had taken another one. I don't mean to ridicule Tarpy when I post his splits because I know he reads this blog. I was emotionally invested in the splits because I could see the development of an a brilliant run. Here they are:
Half Marathon Split - 66:44
Second Half Split - 73:59
Split from mile 14 to 15 - 5:10
Split from mile 15 to 16 - 5:12
Split from mile 16 to 17 - 4:59
Split from mile 17 to 18 - 5:04
Split from mile 18 to 19 - 5:08
Split from mile 19 to 20 - 5:26
Split from mile 20 to 21 - 5:34
Last 7.2k of the race - 28:47 (~6:05/mile* pace) *includes walking
I got one of the best texts I've ever received from Tarpy after the race. I had just returned from my 12 miler with Sean Brosnan out at McAlpine. He writes:
"Tough day for this guy, thought 2:14 was happening. Back first to go, then hips, then feet, then heart. If you want applause in a marathon take a walk break and then start running again. Crowd loves it. Also I passed one of the elite women at 25 and she then out kicked me. Not my finest moment."
Tarpy ran 2:20:43 in his marathon debut on a tough course in NYC. He finished as the 13th overall American in the race. There aren't too many people who can say they ran 2:20 after taking three 30 second walk breaks in the last 5k.
Having the technology to follow a race so closely today was great fun. The efforts today brought many highs and lows to our living room. Even though I was hours away from the live action it felt like I was experiencing the race first hand. Meb's performance will always be remembered. Tarpy's performance will be too.
Oh, it was also Meagan's birthday today. She is now in her late 20s which is nearly 30.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Tarpy and Washburn
Time: 61:12
Distance: ~8.5 miles
I spent the morning bumming around Jilane and Ben's apartment before leaving for a hipster coffee shop. The joint served the black stuff in a French pressed fashion. While we drank coffee Ben and I got smoked at Scattergories by our female companions.
I got to run with Mr. Washburn and Mr. Tarpy in the afternoon through Rock Creek Park. I met up with them at Owen's apartment and we left for the park. The route was very similar to one I ran last year about this time when Aja and the crew was together for Marine Corps Marathon. During the run I got some inside information on Tarpy's plan for the NYC Marathon. I won't reveal all the details but the plan does involve: the subway, a sports bar, two jerseys, a shave and the fade route.
Distance: ~8.5 miles
I spent the morning bumming around Jilane and Ben's apartment before leaving for a hipster coffee shop. The joint served the black stuff in a French pressed fashion. While we drank coffee Ben and I got smoked at Scattergories by our female companions.
I got to run with Mr. Washburn and Mr. Tarpy in the afternoon through Rock Creek Park. I met up with them at Owen's apartment and we left for the park. The route was very similar to one I ran last year about this time when Aja and the crew was together for Marine Corps Marathon. During the run I got some inside information on Tarpy's plan for the NYC Marathon. I won't reveal all the details but the plan does involve: the subway, a sports bar, two jerseys, a shave and the fade route.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Brown Town
Time: 60:01
Distance: 8.53 miles
Pace: 7:02
Map
I had an early flight out this morning from Charlotte to PVD that Meagan was lucky enough to take me to. Tarpy was big time in picking me up once the flight touched down in the old stomping grounds. Being back on campus has brought back so many memories and it's only going to get better when some of the fellas get here. Tarpy and I went to Blue State Coffee and grabbed a slice from Antonio's once Graddy got out of class. It turned out being a relaxing and fun morning/afternoon with two former teammates.
Graddy has a big test on Monday which means he's going to fail once the crew gets here. Anyway, he was able to escape for some minutes along the bike path. The India Point crossing is newly finished so there is a more direct route to the path. We put in about an hour at an easy clip talking about his time in Durban, South Africa. He schooled me on the four groups of people there: black, white, Indian and colored. However, I liked it best when he said his boss (an educated Zulu woman) asked him who "Hispanics" were after reading about another superior race of people.
Distance: 8.53 miles
Pace: 7:02
Map
I had an early flight out this morning from Charlotte to PVD that Meagan was lucky enough to take me to. Tarpy was big time in picking me up once the flight touched down in the old stomping grounds. Being back on campus has brought back so many memories and it's only going to get better when some of the fellas get here. Tarpy and I went to Blue State Coffee and grabbed a slice from Antonio's once Graddy got out of class. It turned out being a relaxing and fun morning/afternoon with two former teammates.
Graddy has a big test on Monday which means he's going to fail once the crew gets here. Anyway, he was able to escape for some minutes along the bike path. The India Point crossing is newly finished so there is a more direct route to the path. We put in about an hour at an easy clip talking about his time in Durban, South Africa. He schooled me on the four groups of people there: black, white, Indian and colored. However, I liked it best when he said his boss (an educated Zulu woman) asked him who "Hispanics" were after reading about another superior race of people.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Dead Presidents
Time: 65:13
Distance: 10 miles
Felt pretty good after a day off yesterday. Got out there and ran the standard loop that I have come to enjoy. Body isn't achy anymore and I think I'm good to go for a workout tomorrow. Hopefully, the weather will be decent.
In other running news, several former Brown University athletes competed over the weekend. Owen Washburn, Jeff Gaudette and Patrick Tarpy raced in sunny San Diego, CA at the USATF XC Champs. You can find more about the race in Oburn's blog post. The results can be found here at the USATF site.
Distance: 10 miles
Felt pretty good after a day off yesterday. Got out there and ran the standard loop that I have come to enjoy. Body isn't achy anymore and I think I'm good to go for a workout tomorrow. Hopefully, the weather will be decent.
In other running news, several former Brown University athletes competed over the weekend. Owen Washburn, Jeff Gaudette and Patrick Tarpy raced in sunny San Diego, CA at the USATF XC Champs. You can find more about the race in Oburn's blog post. The results can be found here at the USATF site.
1 641 Dathan Ritzenhein Nike Eugene OR 25 35:03
2 671 Jorge Torres Reebok Boulder CO 27 35:29
3 643 Josh Rohatinsky Nike Beaverton OR 25 35:41
4 616 Edward Moran Nike Williamsburg VA 26 35:43
5 563 Ryan Hall Asics Mammoth Lakes CA 25 35:50
39 554 Jeffrey Gaudette unattached Charlotte NC 25 38:01
49 680 Owen Washburn unattached Austin TX 24 38:29
54 665 Patrick Tarpy Reebok Providence RI 25 38:33
Monday, October 8, 2007
Izumo Ekiden 2007
Time: 39:18
Distance: 7 miles
Today's race is broadcast live all over Japan. It is a big deal. We boarded the bus and headed to our respective starting positions with the student assigned to us. My leg started in front of a library and when I got there all the runners were hanging out in an empty room upstairs. Most had their shoes (Mizuno or Asics) off and were sitting on mats or blankets they brought. Some listened to music, others played on their cell phones and some chatted with a teammate. For the most part, it was quiet and very serious.
Once the race began everybody starting moving around and headed outside. The camera crew was huddled around a small television watching the lead off leg. Max was running well in the chase group. A runner from Chuo University took it out in 57 (400m), 90 (600m) and about 2:03 (800m). The alternates on the team thought he was fucked but he managed to hand off with a lead of about 21 seconds. Max ran a great leg and handed off tied for second in 23:11. Tarpy took the sash and ran a decent leg. I believe it was the 5th fastest of all the runners on the second leg. He didn't look great from 4k on, but he held it together and gave the sash to Jon Marcus in 3rd place. The Ivy League was well on our way to a top ten finish.
I started my warm up of 19:34 shortly after Jon Marcus took the sash. I headed out on the beginning portion of my leg. It was not too windy but an ever so slight breeze was in my face. The roads were still a bit slick. I popped a caffeine pill that tasted terrible before starting the warm up. My legs were feeling fresh. I returned to the start of my leg and mingled with some of the other runners. I was able to watch a portion of the race on a younger runner's cell phone. And I thought my iphone was sweet. By this point Jon Marcus was nowhere to be seen. He didn't have the best of days. He fell from 3rd to 12th and ran the slowest leg of the 21 runners. Maybe it was the shapes he was cutting the day before the race.
I took the sash about 250m behind the team in 11th place. I wasn't completely sure what place we were in but I focused on the Waseda University's (I think) runner's back. It was cool running past the drumming fans and those waving flags of the respective universities. I enjoyed hearing the women and children saying "gombate, gombate" (spelling?) to me as I passed. Since my leg started at the 22.3k mark it wasn't until after 700m that I got my first split of: 2:19.48. My following k splits were: 2:55.77, 2:57.56, 3:03.31, 3:07.12, 3:10.39, 2:10.99 for 19:44. I was hoping to run 19:30 at the slowest and closer to 19:15 if I felt good. I ended up being 9:51 at the 3.25k mark which was half-way. So I ran the second 3.25k in 9:53 or so. I ended up with a stitch around the 2k mark and hand trouble breathing the rest of the way. I never really made up any ground on the runner ahead of me until the 4k when he pulled away. I was able to salvage my split on the final 800m mostly downhill section which I covered in 2:10.
Once Courtney took the sash, he like me never was passed or passed anybody. He ran an average leg giving the sash to Sundell. Steve turned in the 7th best time on his leg but couldn't catch anybody. He nearly got a guy at the line but was back by a second. It was disappointing to get 12th when we had such a good chance of breaking the top ten considering the legs of Max, Tarpy and Steve.
I didn't feel motivated to run a cool down. So I didn't. We headed over to the closing ceremony and were depressed not to get called up in the top ten. Later, the team went to the Izumo athletic complex to watch the alternates (Ben Stern, Alasdair and John Traugott) run the 5k on the track. Ben ran a smart race to finish in 14:31 just missing his pr.
Friday, October 5, 2007
Izumo, Japan
Time: 67:33
Distance: 10 miles
After a short late morning flight from Haneda Airport (Tokyo) to Izumo the team got together for a run. As an aside, we showed up to the flight 30 minutes before, checked baggage, got through security and scurried to the gate with enough time to take off without too many hassles. We were a little rushed b/c we were late but the Japanese airport system is much more efficient than the U.S. Steve Sundell lead our run b/c he was on the trip last year and new the area. We ran west with the wind at our backs on a bikepath that ran along a small canal. It was great being with a group of guys excited about running. The pace was pretty brisk considering we had just been traveling for the previous 36 hours. We were well into the run when it started getting hot with out shirts on. Apparently, it is not cool to run shirtless. Steve found that out last year when a police officer stopped him. At one point we ran past a little old woman pushing her own wheelchair. Courtney blurted our "Konichiwa" and she responded as any little old Japanese woman would with a soft but high pitched "Ko ni chi wa." We figured she must have been 112 years old and next in line for the Guinness Book of WR oldest person.
The run ended up taking us about 30 minutes out to the ocean. Ben Stern and I ran down on to the beach and touched the water to say we had done it. I think it might have been the Sea of Japan. Maybe not. Steve and Max King continued on to get in a 100 minutes while Ben, Courtney, Jon Marcus and myself headed back. Tarpy, and the Harvard guys had turned earlier. On the way back Ben wanted to do some "brisk" running as Vin Lanana calls it out in Oregon to get a bit of a workout in. He took off and once he had about 60m on me I took off in pursuit. It was nice turning the legs over. I was trying to simulate running with a big gap like it would be in the Izumo Ekiden. On the way back I past Ben and caught the Harvard guys (Alasdair and John Traugott) and Tarpy. We ran together for a bit before coming upon some Japanese students walking home from elementary school. We got them all wound up. A few tried to slap our asses, some chased up, one said in perfect English "nice to meet you." Tarpy ran up to a few raising his arms screaming "GODZILLA." They screamed. I high fived a few. It was a pretty cool experience.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
CVS Downtown 5k
Time: 53:33
Distance: ~9 miles
Walked down from College Hill a couple hours before race time. I was able to get my race packet and t-shirt with plenty of time to spare. Chatted with Berg just briefly after picking everything up. Spoke to Tom and the D'mouth crew. Met up with Tarpy out by the Capitol and hung out near the elite athlete tent. He and I warmed up on the course for 19:08. Saw a bunch of guys getting prepared (Jonathon Riley, Bolota Asmeron, Nick Willis, Boaz, Aaron Aguayo, Josh Moen, Max King, etc.). Got back to the tent and slipped my Team OK Runner jersey on. I couldn't find my chip for a few minutes but luckily I spotted it in the grass.
Lined up with some of the other Ivy League guys. I didn't want to go out too hard the first 400m down the hill. I got off the line well and wasn't flying down the hill out of control. I think I may have been behind some of the women through 300m. I quickly passed them and made my way up alongside and past Ian Marcus, John Traugott, Alisdair Foreman and finally Andy Pitts. Through the mile I was 4:40 and feeling good. I kept working my way up to the next group as smoothly as possible. I worked on catching a group of 4-5 guys from 1.25 miles to 2 miles and once I did, I was past them in a few strides. I wished there was someone I could have latched on to but I think I went out too slow. I was through 2 miles in 9:22 and still feeling relaxed. I was a little out in the open and trying to focus on the back of the guy(s) in front of me. I finished decently strong up the hill and was close to 14:08 at 3 miles and finished in 14:44. Results here. As you can see, Tarpy ran out of his mind. Much respect to my former teammate from Brown University.
Cooled down up to the field hockey game with Neil Hamel and Tarpy. Had to get back down to the meeting for the Ivy Leaguers and then walk back up the hill with Mike Piche for the end of the game. Total 19:41
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